Modified craps game played with cards

ABSTRACT

A dice-less craps game wherein the dealer removes three cards from a shuffling machine containing cards having only Ace-six values. The three cards are placed face down on designated locations on the playing surface with markings one, two and three for each respective card. A player selects two of the cards to be turned over. The sum of the two exposed cards are summed and the total treated as the outcome of the roll. An optional side wager can be made and won if the cards that are turned over match the number of their respective designated locations. Another optional side wager can be based on the number of sevens a player rolls in a round.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application No. 61/424,125 filed Dec. 17, 2010 and Provisional Patent Application No. 61/436,244 filed Jan. 26, 2011, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference and relied upon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a casino table game craps, and more specifically to a variation of the game of craps which includes the use of playing cards.

2. Related Art

Craps is a well known casino table game traditionally played with two six sided die, each side containing a single number of spots designating the numbers one through six. When the die are rolled the outcome is determined by summing the total number of the two dice, such that a roll with one dice displaying a three, and the second dice displaying a four would be a seven. The primary game of craps begins with a player making a wager on either the pass line or the “don't pass” line. The player makes a “come out” roll in which one of three options can occur, 1) the roll of the two dice results in a 7 or 11 in which all players betting on the pass line would win, and all players betting on the don't pass line would lose or 2) the roll of the dice results in a sum of 2, 3, or 12, traditionally known as “craps” in which all players betting on the pass line would lose and players on the don't pass line would either push or win their wagers depending on house rules, or 3) the roll results in the sum of a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 in which case a “point” is established. The player then continues to roll the dice until the sum equals the established point or a seven is rolled. Players who wager on the pass line are betting that a player will roll the point before rolling a seven. Players who wager on the don't pass line are wagering the player will roll a seven before the established point is rolled again. After the point is made or a seven is thrown the game begins again.

In certain jurisdictions local law prohibits wagering on the outcome of the roll of a die. To adjust for this, casinos in California, and potentially other jurisdictions, have modified the traditional game of craps to be based on the outcome of cards rather than dice.

The procedure generally adopted by casinos is to have two six deck shoes where each shoe only contains the cards ace, two, three, four, five, and six. This is shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,597 to Jones issued Feb. 10, 2004. The other cards (seven through king, and jokers) are removed from the deck. Here, the Ace represents a one and the numbered cards represent the remaining corresponding sides of the die, being 2-6. A standard craps table is used, and a trained casino employee is typically given the responsibility of managing the cards. The employee will pull a single card from each shoe to simulate the roll of the dice. Thus if an ace is removed from one shoe and a three is removed from the other shoe the “roll” would be a four, regardless of suit. Unfortunately, this variation takes away a key ingredient of craps in that the player does not roll, but must sit passively and wait for cards to come out. The team spirit and camaraderie of the game is lost and is replaced by a much more mundane procedure.

What is needed is a novel method of playing craps with cards, that retains the rules of craps but also gives the player some autonomy and control of the outcome of the “roll” by having them make decisions about the play of the cards. This can restore the team spirit of craps and also allow for the inclusion of side wagers distinctly corresponding to the modified method of play. Side wagers are also a very attractive product to casinos and can enhance the play and enjoyment of the modified craps game.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method of playing a game of craps, including a come out roll to establish a point followed by resolution of the point by subsequent rolls attempting to roll the established point prior to rolling a seven and at least one player making one or more wagers related to the resolution of the point prior to the come out roll. A playing surface is provided. The playing surface has wagering areas corresponding to the traditional game of craps, and further includes at least three designated card rolling areas. Each designated card rolling area has a distinctive identifier. A dealer and at least one player are provided. The dealer and player are stationed on opposing sides of the playing surface. At least two subsets of playing cards are provided. Each subset consists of six cards each having a face side presenting a numerical value corresponding to the whole numbers one, two, three, four, five and six respectively. At least two subsets are shuffled together into a combined card deck. The dealer removes at least three cards from the deck. The removing step includes placing the at least three cards face side down on the playing surface so that one of each card is associated exclusively with one of the designated card rolling areas. The player is invited to select two of the at least three cards in the designated card rolling areas. The player selects exactly two of the at least three cards in the designated card rolling areas. The dealer reveals the two selected cards, and then calculates the numerical sum of the values of the two selected cards. If the numerical sum is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, the sum is established as a point. The deck is then reconstituted, and then the steps of shuffling, removing, inviting, selecting, revealing and calculating are repeated according to the game of craps. Additional rolls are rolled until the established point is repeated, whereupon the point may be resolved as a win in favor of wagers placed on a pass line.

The present invention provides such an opportunity in that the dealer will deal three or more cards (Ace-six) instead of two as is currently dealt in prior art card craps game. The cards are placed face down on designated locations on the table with the markings one, two, and three for each respective card. The player who is serving as the “shooter” will chose two of these three cards by signifying which two of the three cards they would like turned over (verbally or by hand gesture or by use of a roll chip or other token). Thus if the shooter said one and three the dealer would turn over cards on the locations one and three and leave the card in location two face down. The sum of the two exposed cards (Ace counting as one) will be summed and the total will be considering the outcome of the roll.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily appreciated when considered in connection with the following detailed description and appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exemplary craps wagering area portion of a playing surface on which the present game method can be played;

FIG. 2 is flow chart illustrating the overview of the play of one embodiment of the present game method with a player making a pass line wager;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the another embodiment of the present game method including an optional match wager;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating yet another embodiment of the present game method including an optional any craps/match wager;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating yet another embodiment of the present game method including an optional triple-seven wager;

FIG. 6 is depiction of the face sides of a subset of playing cards used in connection with the present method;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top view of a playing surface and a dealer according to one embodiment of the invention, wherein three cards are shown having been placed face down in respective designated card rolling areas;

FIG. 8 is a view as in FIG. 7 but showing a later stage in the game play wherein the player has selected two of the three cards in the designated card rolling areas followed by the dealer revealing the face values of the cards and calculating the sums thereof;

FIG. 9 is a depiction of the roll chips used in one alternative embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a view as in FIG. 8 but illustrating the manner in which a player uses two of the roll chips of FIG. 9 to communication a selection to the dealer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a gaming method and system is illustrated throughout the Figures and described in greater detail below. FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary standard craps layout on which the present game can be played with cards instead of dice.

The current invention comprises a modification of the standard table game craps so that it can be played in jurisdictions that severely restrict dice games, but without sacrificing some of the unique and compelling aspects of dice games. Cards can either be traditional playing cards or cards that are labeled with markings whereby the number of markings on the card would be equivalent to the number of markings on a stand die. For sake of clarity, the following description is based on the use of standard playing cards, however this is not exclusionary of other types of cards may be used.

More specifically, the modified craps game includes the use of at least two subsets of playing cards, each subset consisting of six cards each having a face side presenting a numerical value corresponding to the whole numbers one, two, three, four, five and six respectively. Preferably, the at least two subsets comprises at least four subsets for a total of at least 24 cards. And more preferably still, the at least two subsets comprise 52 subsets for total of 312 cards. The subsets are shuffled together into a combined card deck 10 used to randomly generate points for the present game.

In the preferred embodiment the dealer access the combined card deck 10 through a shoe or a continuous shuffler 11. The shoe/shuffler 11 will contain the cards ace, one, two, three, four, five, and six. All other cards (seven-king) as well as jokers will be removed from the deck. Other embodiments of the modified craps game may use jokers to serve as additional opportunities for bonus wagers. In one preferred embodiment, shoe/shuffler 11 contains the equivalent of six standard 52-card decks or 312 cards, however, the scope of the current invention is not meant to be limited to a 312 card shoe, and is adaptable to be played with hand held or other multi-deck variations, automated shufflers, and includes the use of all electronic and computer driven media to simulate the method of play.

A playing surface 12 is provided with wagering areas 14 corresponding to the traditional game of craps, as shown in FIG. 1. In the preferred embodiment the shoe/shuffler 11 is positioned on or directly adjacent to the playing surface 12. The playing surface 12 further including at least three designated card rolling areas 16, each designated card rolling area 16 having a distinctive spot or identifier 18, 20, 22. The distinctive identifiers 18, 20, 22 may be numeric (e.g., 1, 2, 3, . . . ) or alphabetic (e.g., A, B, C, . . . ) or symbolic (e.g., Circle, Square, Triangle, . . . ) or the like. In the examples provided in the accompanying Figures, the distinctive identifiers are numeric in nature, with the first identifier 18 being the number one, the second identifier 20 being the number two, and the third identifier 22 being the number three.

Normally a dealer of the game is stationed on an opposing side of the playing surface 12 from the one or more players. An exemplary statement of the method of game play is provided by way of the flow diagram in FIG. 2. At the outset of the game, the dealer removes three cards from the deck 10, and places them face side down on the playing surface 12 so that one of each card is associated exclusively with one of the designated card rolling areas 18, 20 22. The number of cards removed from the deck 10 must be at least three, but in natural variations of the game could be more than three. If more than three cards are removed from the deck 10, then the playing surface 12 must be provided with a corresponding number of designated card rolling areas 16. So, for example, if five designated card rolling areas 16 are provided on the playing surface 12, then up to five cards can be removed by the dealer from the deck 10.

Once the (at least three) cards have been removed from the deck 10, the dealer invites the player to select two of the at least three cards in the designated card rolling areas. In situations where more than one player is actively playing the game, the invitation is extended to the player serving then as the “shooter” according to the traditional rules of craps. The player so invited the selects exactly two of the cards in the designated card rolling areas 16. This selecting step can be accomplished by any convenient means. In FIG. 8, for example, the selection is made by verbalizing two of the designated card rolling areas. In other words, by calling out the numbers “one” and “three” corresponding to the first 18 and third 22 distinctive identifiers. In another embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the selection is made by the player placing two tokens on the playing surface 12.

After the selection has been made, the dealer reveals the two selected cards, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10. The numerical sum of the values of the two selected cards are calculated, and then used as in the same manner as if a pair of dice were rolled in the traditional dice game of craps. For example, if on the come-out roll the numerical sum is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, the sum is established as a point. Following the come-out roll, the deck is reconstituted by bringing together all of the cards and either manually or mechanically (or electronically in the case of electronic implementations) shuffling the deck 10. Then the steps of shuffling, removing, inviting, selecting, revealing and calculating are repeated according to the well-known game of craps.

The player can select two of the three (or more) cards to bring back the element of chance to simulate the roll of the dice. This allows players to have influence over the outcome of the roll restoring player participation and unity in trying to beat the house.

The present invention may be played without modifying any of the traditional rules or play of the game of craps; all pays and plays may be consistent with those customary to the recognized standard game of craps, including but not limited to pass line, don't pass line, come line, don't come line, place bets, odds, lay wagers, multi roll and single roll proposition wagers, hard way wagers and any wagers recognized to be standard in the game of craps. Additionally, the present game method provides for the flexibility in the removal of any of the traditional wagers, and/or instituting the optional MATCH side wager (FIG. 3) and/or ANY CRAPS wager (FIG. 4) and/or TRIPLE-SEVEN side wager (FIG. 5) as described below.

The modified craps game is preferably played on a standard craps table establishing the playing surface 12. However, it is also intended that this present craps game alternatively may be played on a smaller table such as a standard blackjack table at which up to six players can usually sit. An electronically implemented embodiment is also contemplated, wherein an electronic gaming machine operated by a player is provided. The gaming machine includes a display screen, and is provided with a non-transitory computer readable medium coded with instructions and executed by a processor to perform the steps of the game method as described herein.

The method of play would include a standard craps layout, a dealer, and at least one player making a pass or don't pass wager and an optional match side wager. Other embodiments of the invention describe a game in which players do not need to make a pass or don't pass wager and may solely make the match wager. Additional side wagers can be added to the modified game of craps such as the odd, even, hard, wager, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/306,270, filed Nov. 29, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference and relied upon.

After the player/s makes a wager, the dealer will remove three cards from the shoe/shuffling machine 11. For sake of clarity, the term player will be used to signify either the shooter (i.e. person choosing the cards) or any other player wagering at the table). In general, the dealer will take three cards from the shoe/shuffler 11. Variations in the manner in which cards are arranged or taken from the shoe/shuffler 11 will be left to the discretion of the operating casino, including but not limited to the option to have multiple shoes/shufflers 11. For example, a casino administering game played according to the present invention may utilize two separate shoes 11 and dictate that the dealer take two cards from one shoe 11 and the third card from the second shoe 11. Or, the procedure may be established to utilize three shoes/shufflers 11 with one card taken from each shoe/shuffler 11. The cards will be placed face down on the table in designated identifiers or spots 18-22 labeled 1, 2, and 3 in several of the Figures. One card will be placed per spot 18-22.

The game will begin with the “come out” roll as per the standard game of craps. After the cards are placed face down in their respective positions on the table, the player will signal either verbally, by hand gesture, or both which two of the three cards they would like to have exposed. The cards that are located on the corresponding numbered spaces to those chosen by the player will be exposed by the dealer. The dealer will discard the third card keeping it face down and out of sight of the player. In other embodiments, the dealer may expose this card for the sake of a side wager.

After the cards are exposed, the dealer will calculate the sum of the two cards to determine the outcome of the roll. Here, aces will count as one. All other cards will be of equal value to the numerical value of the card for the purpose of determining the outcome of the roll. Totals will be calculated without regard to suit. Thus by way of example, if after the dealer places three cards face down, each in their designated spot on the table, the player elects to have cards on spaces one and two revealed, the dealer will turn these cards over and discard the third. In this case the card on space one is a three of clubs and the card on space two is a four of hearts. This would equal a total of seven, and as per the standing game of craps, players who wagered on the pass line will be paid even money on the come out roll, and those players who wagered the don't pass line will lose their wager.

The player will continue to roll, i.e., select two of the three (or more) designated card rolling areas 16, until a point is established. After the point is established the player will roll by selecting two of the three freshly dealt cards stationed in the designated areas 16 as per the method employed above until either the established point is repeated, in which case players wagering on the pass line will win and those betting on the don't pass line will lose, or a seven is rolled in which case all players wagering on the don't pass line will win and players wagering on the pass line will lose. For rolls that do not equal the point or a seven, and therefore have no impact on the outcome of the pass or don't pass wagers, proposition wagers common to the traditional game of craps can be played and resolved. After the establish point or a seven is rolled a new round begins starting with the come out roll.

Optional Match Side Wager

Referring to FIG. 3, the match side wager refers to an optional side wager in which the player can bet that the total reflected by the number on the individual card is equal to the identifier number 18, 20 or 22 that the card was placed on within the designated card rolling area 16. For example if this optional side wager is made, and the player selects the first 18 and third 22 identifiers in the designated card rolling area 16, and if the dealer turns over the associated cards to reveal an Ace in the first designated location 18 and a three on third designated location 22, then this would be an example of a match. In other words, in order to win the optional match wager, an Ace must be uncovered in the first designated location 18, and/or a two in the second designated location 20, and/or a three in the third designated location 22.

The method of play thus includes a player making an optional match wager, such as by placing a suitable value chip on the Match wagering location 24 of the playing surface 12. The match wager can be any amount set by the house and may or may not need to be of equal value to the pass line or don't pass line wager based on depending on house rules. The wager can be placed with the original pass or don't pass wager, or at any time during a roll as per house rules.

Starting with the come out roll, the match wager will be active for each roll independent of whether the roll establishes a point, does not establish a point, completes a round by rolling the established point, or sevens out.

In the preferred embodiment the player will need to have both cards match in order to win. The wager once placed, will be active until either a match is hit or a player sevens out thereby ending an individual round. Thus if the player bet $5 on the match wager before a standard round of craps begins, the wager will stay active from the come out roll until the player rolls the established point or sevens out, thereby completing the standard round of craps. The player may make the wager at any point in the round, or will need to be made on the come out roll (i.e. before a point is established).

Once placed, the wager will pay for a match on any roll including the come out roll or after a point is established. A pay table can be generated such that a match on the come out roll will pay proportionally more than a match after the point is established. Paying more for a match on the come out roll than after the point is established is related to the relatively fewer number of rolls it takes to establish a point and complete the come out roll versus the relatively higher number of rolls it takes to resolve the point once it is established. As such, if a match is made on the come out roll the wager will pay at a preferred ratio of 4:1. If a match is made after the point is established this will pay at a preferred ratio of 2:1.

Preferably. the player may not take down the wager once placed unless house rules specify otherwise. The player can also add monies of any amount to the wager up to the house maximum throughout the round that the wager is active, again unless house rules specify otherwise.

The dealer sets the three cards and the player chooses two cards as per the preferred method above. In this instance the player chooses the cards on spot one 18 and spot three 22. The dealer exposes the cards which in this case are an Ace at spot 18 (value of one) and a three at the third spot 22. For the sake of the standard craps game this roll would result in a total of four. However, in regard to the match wager, the ace and the three both match the number on the designated spots they were placed this would be considered a win for the match wager. The wager will be paid on a premium suggested but not limited to 3:1, which in this case would result in a payout of $15. The player would then have the option of 1) taking down the original match wager, 2) keeping the original match wager at the same amount, or 3) pressing the match wager of any value up to the house maximum.

After the match wager is resolved play will continue until the player matches the established point or sevens out. If the player rolls the established point the match wager would push or lose depending on house rules. If the player sevens out the match wager will lose.

In other embodiments, players may win if only one of the two selected cards match the location (18, 20, 22) on which they were placed. Thus in the above example if the dealer turned over an Ace in the first location 18 and a six in the third location 22, the player will nevertheless win the match. The suggested payout for a single match can be 1:1.

In a still further variation of the optional match wager, if a player matches both cards, then the dealer may also turn over the third card for the chance at a Super Match. Thus in the example where the dealer turns over an Ace in the first location 18 and a three in the third location 22, the Super Match variation requires the dealer to reveal the face down card in the second designated location 20 for the purposes of resolving the match wager only. That is, the roll will be completed by the sum of the two selected cards only. If, in the case of this Super Match method of play the dealer reveals the card in space 20 has a value of two, then all players who wagered on the match 24 would be paid at a higher payout than for the regular match. The Super Match can be part of the match wager or can be separate from the match wager in that players could wager on the match alone, the Super Match alone or both together.

In yet another embodiment, players may receive a bonus if the two cards selected match each other, i.e. a hard way is rolled. This proposed card-matching, i.e., hard way, bonus is in addition to the standard match wager thereby giving players more ways to win. As an example, if the player chooses the first 18 and third 22 locations, and the dealer turns over a two value card in the first location 18 and a two value card in the third location 22, this would be considered a match and the match wager would be paid. Higher bonuses can be paid for specific matches like ace and ace for a total of 2, and a six and six for a total of 12.

Additionally, the match wager can be paid if the point is established hard or rolled hard as opposed to paying all hard rolls that do not have an impact on the point. As an example, if a player chooses cards one 18 and three 22 on the come out roll and the face value of the card in the first location 18 is a four and the value of the card in the third location 22 is also a four, then the point is established as 8. Since the point was established hard this would pay the match wager at a premium, suggested odds 2:1. If on the next roll the player chooses the same locations 18, 22 and two three-value cards are turned over this would count as a hard six. Since six is not the point, the match wager would not win in this embodiment. If the next or any further roll results in a four and a four (hard eight) before a seven is rolled this would again pay the match wager. If a seven is rolled the match wager will lose. If the point is made easy the match wager would win or push depending on house rules. As per previous embodiments, the match wager will also win as per the preferred embodiment above. Therefore, the additional embodiments are intended to add more options to a favorable outcome of the match wager rather than replace the preferred method described above.

Optional Any Craps Side Wager (Any Craps/Match Side Wager)

An optional Any Craps or Any Craps/Match side wager is diagrammed in FIG. 4. In this optional side wager, the player is betting that the come out roll will be a craps (i.e. 2, 3, 12) in addition to trying to establish a match as described above. In the preferred embodiment, the Any Craps wager will be attached to the Match side wager such that the player will place a single wager in the designated spot on the modified craps game to participate in both the craps and the match aspect of the side wager. For convenience, the ensuing discussion will therefore refer to the side wager as the Any Craps/Match wager.

The Any Craps/Match wager is therefore a single side wager. The player who places the Any Craps/Match side wager will qualify to participate in the Craps portion of the Any Craps/Match side wager as well as the match portion described above.

This results in a plurality of outcomes whereby the player can win the wage on the come out roll and after the point is established:

1) Come out roll: The player will win the Any Craps/Match wager on the come out roll if:

-   -   A) The player rolls craps of 2, 3, or 12 that is not a match. If         the roll of craps is not a match the Any Craps/Match wager will         pay at a preferred ratio of 1:1.     -   B) The player rolls craps 3 on the come out roll which is also a         match. This could occur in one scenario where the player selects         the card in spot one 18 and spot two 20, which when revealed,         the card in spot one 18 is an Ace for a value of 1 and the card         in spot two 20 is a two for a roll sum of 3. By definition a         roll sum of 2 or 12 would not qualify for a match as there is no         way to roll a 2 or a 12 where both cards match the spots they         are in. A match on the come out roll that is also a craps 3 will         pay at a preferred ratio of 4:1.     -   C) A match on the come out roll (i.e. before the point is         established) that establishes a point. A match on the come out         roll that establishes a point can occur in one of two ways:         -   1) The player selects card spots one 18 and three 22. The             dealer reveals an Ace in spot one 18 and a three in spot             three 22 establishing a point of 4 with a match.         -   2) The player selects cards in spots two 20 and three 22.             The dealer reveals a two in spot two 20 and a three in spot             three 22 establishing the point of a five with a match. A             match that establishes a point on the come out roll will be             paid at a preferred ratio of 4:1. for establishing a match             on the come out roll.         -   3) A match after the point is established.             A match after the point is established would be paid at a             preferred ratio of 2:1. A roll of craps after the point is             established would not be paid unless the roll were a match.             A roll of craps that is a match could happen in one scenario             whereby the roll 3 craps is established by the player             selecting card spots one 18 and two 20 where the card in             spot one 18 was revealed to be an Ace, and the card in spot             two 20 was revealed to be a two, for a roll sum of 3.

The Any Craps/Match wager only loses if the player sevens out. In this way, the player could win, but could never lose, the wager on the come out roll. Similarly, if the player did not make a match or roll craps on the come out roll, the player would push the Any Craps/Match wager if the player rolled the point before a match.

In the Any Craps/Match side wager, the player will win the wager at a preferred ratio of 1:1 if the come out roll is a 2, 3, or a 12 (i.e. a roll of craps) that is not a match. If the come out roll is any other number (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11) and is not a match the Any Craps/Match wager will be unaffected and remain in play. If the come out roll establishes a point of a 4 or a 5, the wager will win at a preferred ratio of 4:1 if the roll of a 4 or a 5 is also a match. Any match after the come out roll will be paid at a preferred ratio of 2:1.

As per example, a player places a $5 wager on the pass line and a $5 wager on the Any Craps/Match wager. The player chooses the cards on spot two 20 and spot three 22. The dealer exposes the cards, which in this case, are an Ace at identifier 20 (value of one) and a two at the third identifier 22, for a total of 3. As a roll of 3 is a roll of craps, the Any Craps/Match wager will win at a preferred ratio of 1:1. As the roll did not meet the criteria to win the Match portion of the side wager there is no additional winning on the match portion of the Any Craps/Match Wager. The player would however lose their pass line wager as the roll of 3 was a craps.

In this way, the Any Craps/Match wager can also be viewed as “insurance” for the pass line. Therefore if the player bet equal amounts on the pass line and the Any Craps/Match wager and a craps 3 was rolled on the come out roll, the player would lose their pass line wager but get their money back by winning the Any Craps/Any Match wager. If the roll were a 3 craps that were also a match the player would lose their pass line wager but would be paid at a ratio of 4:1 for the match on the come out roll, thereby giving a net win of three units.

In a second example, a player places a $5 wager on the pass line and a $5 wager on the Any Craps/Match side wager. The shooter makes the come out roll and selects card spot one 18 and spot two 20. An Ace is revealed in spot one 18 and a two is revealed in spot two 20, for a total of 3.

Here, the player rolled a craps 3 on the come out roll, which was also a match. The Any Craps/Match wager will win at a preferred ratio of 1:1. However, the roll also met criteria for a Match, therefore the player will win the bonus for the match and be paid at an exemplary ratio of 4:1 or in the case of a $5 wager, $20.

The current side wager is in marked distinction from the traditional Any Craps wager offered in the standard game of craps. In traditional craps, the Any Craps wager is a single roll wager where the player will win if the roll of the dice is a 2, 3, or 12. If the outcome of the roll is any other number the wager will lose.

In contrast, the current Any Craps/Match wager is a multiple roll wager that will win if the come out roll is a 2, 3, or 12. The wager will pay 1:1 if the roll is a craps (i.e. 2, 3, or 12), however the wager does not lose if any other number is rolled on the come out roll. Therefore, if the player were to bet the equal amounts on the pass line and the Any Craps wager in traditional craps, and the come out roll were a seven the player would win the pass line wager and lose the Any Craps wager, resulting in a net win of $0.

Further, by combining the Any Craps/Match wager into a single wager the player is able to use strategy in choosing the cards for each roll. This holds true for both the come out roll and rolls that occur after a point is established.

As such, if the player opts for the cards in spots two 20 and three 22 on the come out roll, they could roll a craps of 3 but would not qualify to win the match. Therefore, choosing these cards could result in a maximum win of 1:1 if a craps roll of 3 were made.

In contrast, if the player were to select cards in spots one 18 and two 20 then they could roll a craps 3 which is also a match. (E.g., Ace in spot one 18 and two in spot two 20.)

If the established point were a 4, the players best choice for cards would be located in spot one 18 and spot three 22 as this roll can result in a 4 which would win the point but also be a match if an Ace is in spot one 18 and a three is in spot three 22.

Similarly, if the established point were a 5, the players best choice for cards would be located in spot two 20 and spot three 22 as this roll can result in a 5 which would win the point but also be a match if a two is in spot two 20 and a three is in spot three 22.

In one preferred embodiment, the player is required to make the Any Craps/Match wager before the come out roll. Once the wager is placed it cannot be removed until the point is resolved (i.e. the round of craps is completed). Players would be free to add additional monies to the wager (i.e. press) once it is placed up to the table maximum. However, additional monies that are placed on the wager may not be removed until the point is resolved (i.e. the round of craps is completed).

Optional Triple-Seven Side Wager

An optional Triple-Seven side wager is diagrammed in FIG. 5. In this optional side wager the player is betting that in the course of a standard round of craps (i.e. come out roll to resolution of the established point) the player rolling will make three rolls that total seven before the round is over. The three sevens however is inclusive of the roll that causes the player to seven out. Thus by definition each round of craps will therefore include one of the three rolls of seven that are needed to win the side wager. It is intended that this side wager be adaptable to the standard game of craps played with dice as well as the modified craps game described above. It is intended that the means of tracking the number of sevens will be accomplished by casino staff with either manual or electronic means.

The method of play would include a player making an optional triple-seven wager, preferably with the come out roll (i.e. before the point is established). According to this embodiment, the playing surface includes at least one designated triple-seven wagering area which may take the general form of the match wager area 24 described above. A triple-seven wager is received in the triple-seven wagering area by any player that chooses to place this optional side wager. The triple-seven wager can be any amount set by the house and may or may not need to be of equal value to the pass line or don't pass line wager based on depending on house rules. Again, per the preferred embodiment the triple-seven wager can be placed with the original pass or don't pass wager, however it may also be placed at any time during a roll as per individual house rules.

Starting with the come out roll, the triple-seven wager will be active for each roll independent of whether the roll establishes a point, does not establish a point, completes a round by rolling the established point, or results in ending a round with a seven being rolled before the established point out. Therefore all rolls will count for the purpose of resolving the proposed side wager. The triple-seven wager will be resolved at the end of the round. If the player makes the established point before rolling three sevens the wager would push or win 1:1 depending on house rules. If, after the point is established, the player rolls a seven before rolling three sevens the triple-seven wager would lose. Therefore, in the case where the player sevens out, (i.e. does not make the established point) the player would therefore need to roll at least two sevens before the point is established in order to win the triple-seven side wager.

By way of example, a player wagers $5 on the pass line and $5 on the triple-seven wager. The player's first roll is a seven, which would pay 1:1 on the pass line and count as one roll toward the triple-seven bonus. The player's next roll is a six, which would make the point a six. At this point, the triple-seven wager is still in play. If the player makes the point the wager is a push or pays 1:1 depending on house rules. If the player sevens out this would make two sevens to end the round and the player would lose.

In another example a player rolls a seven, a three, a seven, and a four establishing the point as a four. In this case the player would push the wager if they rolled the four, or win the triple-seven wager if they sevened out, giving a total of three sevens.

FIGS. 8 & 9 describe another variation of the present game wherein roll chips 26 are used by the player to communicate the two selected cards. Roll chips 26 may comprise three casino chips of no monetary or wagering value. Each roll chip 26 is marked with indicia corresponding to one of the at least three designated card rolling areas 18, 20, 22. For example, if the designated card rolling areas are identified as 1, 2, 3 then the roll chips 26 are also marked 1, 2 and 3 respectively. If the designated card rolling areas are identified as A, B, C then the roll chips 26 are marked A, B and C respectively. When invited, the player chooses two chips and places them on the playing surface 12 to represent the cards they would like to select. This is illustrated for example in FIG. 10.

The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with the relevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly the scope of legal protection afforded this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims. 

1. A method of playing a game of craps, the game including a come out roll to establish a point followed by resolution of the point by subsequent rolls attempting to roll the established point prior to rolling a seven and at least one player making one or more wagers related to the resolution of the point prior to the come out roll, the method comprising the steps of: providing a playing surface, the playing surface have wagering areas corresponding to the traditional game of craps, the playing surface further including at least three designated card rolling areas, each designated card rolling area having a distinctive identifier; providing a dealer and at least one player, stationing the dealer and player on opposing sides of the playing surface; providing at least two subsets of playing cards, each subset consisting of six cards each having a face side presenting a numerical value corresponding to the whole numbers one, two, three, four, five and six respectively; shuffling together the at least two subsets into a combined card deck; the dealer removing at least three cards from the deck, said removing step including placing the at least three cards face side down on the playing surface so that one of each card is associated exclusively with one of the designated card rolling areas; inviting the player to select two of the at least three cards in the designated card rolling areas; the player selecting exactly two of the at least three cards in the designated card rolling areas; the dealer revealing the two selected cards; calculating the numerical sum of the values of the two selected cards; if the numerical sum is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, establishing the sum as a point; reconstituting the deck, and then repeating said shuffling, removing, inviting, selecting, revealing and calculating steps according to the game of craps; and rolling additional rolls until the established point is repeated, resolving the point as a win in favor of wagers placed on a pass line or a seven is rolled resolving the point as a loss to wagers placed on the pass line.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said shuffling step includes placing the deck in a continuous shuffler machine.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of providing at least two subsets of playing cards includes providing at least four subsets.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of providing at least two subsets of playing cards includes providing 52 subsets.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting step includes verbalizing two of the designated card rolling areas.
 6. The method of claim 1 further including providing the player with roll chips each having indicia corresponding to a respective one of the designated card rolling areas, said selecting step includes the player presenting two of the roll chips.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said presenting step includes placing the two roll chips on the playing surface.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the playing surface includes at least one designated match wagering area, including receiving a match wager in the match wagering area, and resolving the match wager in favor of the player if at least one of the two selected cards have a face value corresponding to the distinctive identifier for the associated designated card rolling area.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the playing surface includes at least one designated match wagering area, including receiving a match wager in the match wagering area, and resolving the match wager in favor of the player if both the two selected cards have a face value corresponding to the respective distinctive identifier for the associated designated card rolling areas.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the playing surface includes at least one designated match wagering area, including receiving a match wager in the match wagering area, and resolving the match wager in favor of the player if both the two selected cards have a face value corresponding to the respective distinctive identifier for the associated designated card rolling areas.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the match wager comprises an any craps/match wager that is resolved in favor of the player if the numerical sum of the come out is two or three in addition to the two selected cards having a face value corresponding to the respective distinctive identifier for the associated designated card rolling areas.
 12. The method of claim 1 wherein the playing surface includes at least one designated match wagering area, including receiving a match wager in the match wagering area, and resolving the match wager in favor of the player if the two selected cards match each other.
 13. The method of claim 1 wherein the playing surface includes at least one designated triple-seven wagering area, including receiving a triple-seven wager in the triple-seven wagering area, and resolving the triple-seven wager in favor of the player if the player rolling will make three rolls each totaling seven before the making the point.
 14. A method of playing a game of craps, the game including a come out roll to establish a point followed by resolution of the point by subsequent rolls attempting to roll the established point prior to rolling a seven and at least one player making one or more wagers related to the resolution of the point prior to the come out roll, the method comprising the steps of: providing a playing surface, the playing surface have wagering areas corresponding to the traditional game of craps, the playing surface further including at least three designated card rolling areas, each designated card rolling area having a distinctive identifier, the playing surface including at least one designated match wagering area; providing a dealer and at least one player, stationing the dealer and player on opposing sides of the playing surface; providing at least four subsets of playing cards, each subset consisting of six cards each having a face side presenting a numerical value corresponding to the whole numbers one, two, three, four, five and six respectively; shuffling together the at least two subsets into a combined card deck, said shuffling step includes placing the deck in a continuous shuffler machine; the dealer removing at least three cards from the deck, said removing step including placing the at least three cards face side down on the playing surface so that one of each card is associated exclusively with one of the designated card rolling areas; inviting the player to select two of the at least three cards in the designated card rolling areas; the player selecting exactly two of the at least three cards in the designated card rolling areas; the dealer revealing the two selected cards; calculating the numerical sum of the values of the two selected cards; if the numerical sum is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, establishing the sum as a point; reconstituting the deck, and then repeating said shuffling, removing, inviting, selecting, revealing and calculating steps according to the game of craps; rolling additional rolls until the established point is repeated, resolving the point as a win in favor of wagers placed on a pass line or a seven is rolled resolving the point as a loss to wagers placed on the pass line; receiving a match wager in the match wagering area, and resolving the match wager in favor of the player if the two selected cards have a face value corresponding to the distinctive identifiers for the respective designated card rolling areas.
 15. An electronically implemented method of playing a game of craps, the game including a come out roll to establish a point followed by resolution of the point by subsequent rolls attempting to roll the established point prior to rolling a seven and at least one player making one or more wagers related to the resolution of the point prior to the come out roll, comprising the steps of: providing an electronic gaming machine to be operated by a player and including a display screen; the electronic gaming machine including a non-transitory computer readable medium coded with instructions and executed by a processor to perform the steps of: displaying a graphical representation of a playing surface, the playing surface have wagering areas corresponding to the traditional game of craps, the playing surface further including at least three designated card rolling areas, each designated card rolling area having a distinctive identifier; providing at least two subsets of playing cards, each subset consisting of six cards each having a face side presenting a numerical value corresponding to the whole numbers one, two, three, four, five and six respectively; shuffling together the at least two subsets into a combined card deck; the dealer removing at least three cards from the deck, said removing step including placing the at least three cards face side down on the playing surface so that one of each card is associated exclusively with one of the designated card rolling areas; inviting the player to select two of the at least three cards in the designated card rolling areas; the player selecting exactly two of the at least three cards in the designated card rolling areas; the dealer revealing the two selected cards; calculating the numerical sum of the values of the two selected cards; if the numerical sum is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, establishing the sum as a point; reconstituting the deck, and then repeating said shuffling, removing, inviting, selecting, revealing and calculating steps according to the game of craps; and rolling additional rolls until the established point is repeated, resolving the point as a win in favor of wagers placed on a pass line or a seven is rolled resolving the point as a loss to wagers placed on the pass line.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the playing surface includes at least one designated match wagering area, including receiving a match wager in the match wagering area, and resolving the match wager in favor of the player if at least one of the two selected cards have a face value corresponding to the distinctive identifier for the associated designated card rolling area.
 17. The method of claim 15 wherein the playing surface includes at least one designated match wagering area, including receiving a match wager in the match wagering area, and resolving the match wager in favor of the player if both the two selected cards have a face value corresponding to the respective distinctive identifier for the associated designated card rolling areas.
 18. The method of claim 15 wherein the playing surface includes at least one designated match wagering area, including receiving a match wager in the match wagering area, and resolving the match wager in favor of the player if three of the cards have faces value corresponding to the respective distinctive identifiers for the associated designated card rolling areas.
 19. The method of claim 15 wherein the playing surface includes at least one designated match wagering area, including receiving a match wager in the match wagering area, and resolving the match wager in favor of the player if the two selected cards match each other.
 20. The method of claim 15 wherein the playing surface includes at least one designated triple-seven wagering area, including receiving a triple-seven wager in the triple-seven wagering area, and resolving the triple-seven wager in favor of the player if the player rolling will make three rolls each totaling seven before the making the point. 